


Seven Days of Tropes

by DoomedTemperament



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Humor, M/M, let's see if i can actually do this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-10 19:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2037534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedTemperament/pseuds/DoomedTemperament
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone who had decently-working eyes and ears (or half of a brain cell) knew that there had been something bubbling up between Levi and Eren. The way their gazes seemed to linger on each other during training, the way Levi spoke just a bit more gently towards Eren during dinner, the way they silently sent off signals to each other. It was impossible for anyone to miss- except, perhaps, for Levi and Eren themselves.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Seven days. Seven TV tropes. Seven ficlets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Leave the two lovebirds alone

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! Going to try to challenge myself for the next week (at least, I hope it only takes a week.)
> 
> By using seven randomly generated prompts from the TV tropes website, I'm going to try to write a ficlet each day using the selected prompt. Some will be fluff, some will be angst, some will be humor.
> 
> For those of you who have never heard of the website, I highly recommend looking it up.
> 
> Let's hope that this turns out well. As always, all comments and constructive criticisms are welcome!

It had been building up between the two for weeks.

Everyone who had decently-working eyes and ears (or half of a brain cell) knew that there had been something bubbling up between Levi and Eren. The way their gazes seemed to linger on each other during training, the way Levi spoke just a bit more gently towards Eren during dinner, the way they silently sent off signals to each other. It was impossible for anyone to miss- except, perhaps, for Levi and Eren themselves.

Each dinner was spent with chattering amongst the 104th trainees, as they snuck surreptitious glances at Levi and Eren, who almost always sat next to each other. It was a time for socialization (a rarity in the headquarters,) which meant that rumors and gossip spread easily; it was one of the few things that kept the soldiers entertained and happy.

“I think tonight’s the night Eren finally confesses.” Jean whispered, eyes flitting between the two.

“No way, he’s not gonna work up the guts for it.” Connie interjected. “Besides, I think Levi’s going to be the first to crack.”

Sasha grinned. “I agree with Connie. The corporal’s been acting even more strangely around him than usual.”

“No, I don’t think anything will happen tonight. Eren keeps looking like he’s about to say something, but then he turns away.” Armin said.

“Chicken.” Jean muttered.

The chattering continued for a few seconds.

Then, a voice that was slightly too loud to be a whisper came from Eren.

“I think I like you, Corporal.”

The room went dead silent as all eyes focused on Eren and Levi.

Eren was fidgeting in his seat, and Levi was pointedly looking down. It was a bit hard to see, but those sitting near Levi could swear that he was wearing something akin to a smile. Levi met Eren’s eyes, and the tension in the room snapped.

“I think I like you too, Eren.”

The words were hardly complete when Hanji suddenly stood up from their chair.

“Well! I think I’m just going to put my dishes away. Anyone care to join me?” They said in an all-too-suggestive voice. The room was silent for several seconds, until an air of understanding spread.

“I’ll join them.” Sasha chimed in, standing up from her seat. Several people around the room nodded.

“I think I forgot something in my room.”

“I’m going to finish the chores.

“I’m going to… go somewhere else.”

One by one, the others carefully and quickly filed out of the room, each of the excuses more lame and vague than the last, until Eren, Levi, and Erwin were the only ones left.

“Have fun.” Erwin said, standing up and leaving the room with a knowing smile.

Eren and Levi glanced at each other.

“Um.” Eren started. “I guess we’re alone.”

Levi stared at him for several seconds, before pulling him into a kiss.

“Good.”


	2. Day 2: Just Before the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A voice calls out, “Look, it’s Humanity’s Strongest Soldier!”
> 
> Eren immediately turns his head to take a look, staring in childlike wonder at the man who bears such an honorable title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! I almost forgot to publish this today... oops!
> 
> This one is really short, only like 300 words, but I had a lot of trouble writing more than that. Eh, it's something, anyway.

Eren is nine years old when he sees them for the first time- the survey corps, returning from a mission. He grins when the soldiers pass by, watching with eager eyes as they trot forward on their horses and look at those who had gathered along the path. What he sees is an image of heroes; brave men and women, strong and powerful and triumphant, ready to take on the horrors of the world that humanity just barely avoids. What he doesn’t see are the grim expressions on their faces, the avoidance of eye contact, the dull and painful looks in their eyes.

A voice calls out, “Look, it’s Humanity’s Strongest Soldier!”

Eren immediately turns his head to take a look, staring in childlike wonder at the man who bears such an honorable title.

The movement stops, and Eren takes the opportunity to observe the man closely: Short black hair in an undercut, impassive eyes, shorter than the others (but much taller than Eren.) In his awe, he misses the angry murmurs of the rest of the citizens to the men who ride the horses in the front.

_“Why do you go outside and send our families to death instead of staying within the peace of the walls?”_

Within the span of a few minutes, the soldiers begin moving again, and Eren can no longer look at the man on the horse, only able to watch as he leaves.

_One day, I’m going to be as cool as he is!_

Eren knows that the peace only lasts because of these soldiers.

What he doesn’t know is that, in spite of this, the peace will only last for one more year.


	3. Day 3: You mean Xmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Technically speaking, there was no such thing as Christmas in the survey corps. Christianity wasn’t much of a popular belief at the time, and many who had joined the survey corps had long since thrown away any ideas of a merciful savior.
> 
> But that didn’t mean there weren’t any winter celebrations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day three! Today's chapter is a bit longer than the others, which makes me happy.

Technically speaking, there was no such thing as Christmas in the survey corps. Christianity wasn’t much of a popular belief at the time, and many who had joined the survey corps had long since thrown away any ideas of a merciful savior.

But that didn’t mean there weren’t any winter celebrations.

On the designated day of December 14th, all soldiers were relieved of their daily duties, and were allowed to travel to one of the nearby districts for a small celebration. Occasionally, if a soldier was lucky, they would be able to find a cheap gift to give to a friend. The day was used to boost the morale of the soldiers, and more often than not, the people of the district were grateful to have the soldiers there (if only to attract other citizens and turn them into potential customers.)

Unfortunately for a certain corporal and his charge, there wasn’t enough money for gift-buying this year. While Eren didn’t mind simply spending the day accompanying Levi as they walked through the markets, Levi couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. The survey corps had practically guaranteed that the boy would spend his years watching his friends and comrades die, not to mention he had already had his childhood stolen away from him at a young age… it was a sad truth, but Levi saw a bit of himself in Eren. The least that he could do was try to offer Eren some sort of gift, if only to lift his spirits. As they walked across the paths, glancing at the various stalls and shops, Levi pondered on how he could get Eren something nice. While he may not have been above stealing in his younger years, he had long since given up that particular habit.

“What are you thinking about, Corporal?” Eren chimed, pulling Levi out of his musings.

Levi let out a frustrated grunt. “I can’t think of anything to give you today.”

“You don’t need to get me anything.” Eren said softly. “Being here today is enough of a gift.”

With a snort, Levi muttered something about ‘being cheesy’, and continued along the path. After a short silence, Eren spoke.

“Can I kiss you?”

Levi nearly stumbled over his own two feet- well, he certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that.

“Where did that idea come from?” He asked bluntly.

“You wanted to give me a gift, but we don’t have anything to buy one with. And… well, I was hoping that this could be my chance to get one. As a gift.” Eren said, trying to maintain a cool façade. Levi stared at him for several seconds, and sighed. The idea of kissing in public wasn’t very appealing, but…

“Close your eyes and pucker up.”

Eren looked startled for a moment, but the expression quickly faded as he closed his eyes and leaned in. The kiss was short and chaste, and yet, when Levi pulled away, he felt a strange sort of satisfaction. Judging by the dopey grin on Eren’s face, he felt it as well.

“Are you happy now?” Levi asked, only half-sarcastically.

“Very happy.”


	4. Day 4: Indirect Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t be ridiculous, the corporal doesn’t have germs.” Sasha responded. “If anything, drinking out of the same glass is like… I dunno, getting an indirect kiss from the corporal.”
> 
> Eren nearly spat out his drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow okay, I'm really displeased with this chapter, and it's more crack than anything else... but I'm sticking with it, because I can't think of anything better to write.
> 
> I'm sorry.

“Damn it, who broke this glass?” Levi asked with narrow eyes.

Eren grimaced and shifted in his seat. Everyone in the dining hall had seen it; he had tripped over his own two feet when he was retrieving his dinner, and proceeded to fall face-first onto the floor, dropping his glass in the process. The sound of the approaching corporal made him nervous, and he had scrambled to get to his seat before Levi saw him try to pick up the shards of glass- the survey corps couldn’t afford to break any dishes, and if Eren had been caught, he’d surely get in trouble.

Eren hadn’t been careful enough to take someone else’s glass, though, which meant that it was obvious who had dropped it. Levi stared directly at him, holding his gaze for several seconds.

Shit, I’m going to get in trouble just for breaking a glass on accident!

“It can’t be helped.” The corporal said, much to everyone’s surprise. He took a sip of the water, grimaced, and handed the glass to Eren. “Jaeger, use my glass while I get this mess cleaned up. And try to be more careful this time, we can’t have you breaking everything in sight- accident or not.” With that, Levi left to fetch a broom to sweep the shards with.

The room was quiet for several moments, before an idle chatter picked up. There was no incident, and Eren was quite lucky for that. He took a sip of the water from the glass and swallowed, listening to what the others were saying.

“Doesn’t that glass have the corporal’s germs on it?” Connie piped up.

“Don’t be ridiculous, the corporal doesn’t have germs.” Sasha responded. “If anything, drinking out of the same glass is like… I dunno, getting an indirect kiss from the corporal.”

Eren nearly spat out his drink.


	5. Day 5: Holy Halo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It pained Levi to see him that way. Eren was supposed to be stronger than that. Eren was supposed to know when to pick his battles. Levi supposed that, in the end, he never really did learn. But as much as Eren was a fool, Levi had grown fond of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... I wrote angst. Sorry about that.

All his life, Levi had been fighting; whether it was against the creeps of the underground, or the titans who lurked above it, he had to rely on his strength and instincts.

But now, he couldn’t fight anymore. Not when he had nearly been snapped in half by a titan. 

Dying was going to be a bitch.

The agony was slowly growing, but he refused to make any noises of pain. The only reason he had even managed to avoid being eaten was due to Eren.

Eren, who had grabbed Levi and swung onto a nearby tree.

Eren, who was currently by his side on the branches, holding onto him tightly,

Eren, who was begging for him not to go.

“There has to be a way to stop it… there has to be a way!” Eren cried out, holding Levi closely. It was useless for him to hope; there was no way that Levi would be able to move even if they did get rescued in time. And after telling so to Eren, it only served to make the young boy cry harder.

“Don’t waste your energy on me. There are more important things out there for you to focus on.” Levi said, his voice growing hoarse. Eren trembled, and reached out to grasp Levi’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Please… don’t go.” Eren whispered in a crackling voice.

It pained Levi to see him that way. Eren was supposed to be stronger than that. Eren was supposed to know when to pick his battles. Levi supposed that, in the end, he never really did learn. But as much as Eren was a fool, Levi had grown fond of him.

“You’ll be okay, Eren.” He said eventually.

His vision was fading in and out, and for a split second, he could have sworn that the young boy looked… angelic. Everything seemed more intense around him, almost as if the boy was wearing a halo- a crown of light that only seemed to burn brighter and brighter as the time passed.

He shortly realized that he had seconds to spare.

He smiled.

“Stay strong. For the both of us.” He whispered, allowing himself to enjoy the last fleeting feelings of Eren holding onto his hand, of the warmth that embraced him.

The light was beautiful.


	6. Day 6: Not helping your case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean hummed and surveyed the surroundings. “Well, I’m supposed to be surveying the area to make sure nobody steals. And the way things look, you don’t really have much of an excuse to be here… that, and the fact that the way you just denied it looked like you were trying to hide something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really pleased with this chapter, but I'm hoping that at least somebody finds it humorous.

Doing the patrol rounds around the headquarters was annoying. There was no real reason to check the hallways for an entire night, seeing as there wasn’t any danger lurking around- the closest thing to a theft or break-in was when Sasha would raid the kitchen for something to eat. Jean sighed, his grip tightening on the lantern. Why the fuck would anyone-

“Ah!”

The sound of a loud bang and a clatter came from one of the rooms, and Jean was quick to rush to it.

_Shit, that sounded like it came from the room where the maneuver gear is stored._

Without hesitation, he burst into the room. “Who are you, and what-“ He started, then immediately paused.

Standing in the center of the room was none other than Eren, who wore an extremely guilty look on his face. Off to the corner, one of the shelves that was used to store the maneuver gear had been broken, and several sets of the devices were scattered around the floor. Jean glared at Eren with narrowed eyes.

“Why are you here?” He asked, clearly suspicious.

“No reason.” Eren said lamely. Jean stood at the doorway for several moments, assessing the situation.

“Were you trying to steal something?”

Eren’s eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. “Of course not! What even gave you that idea?”

Jean hummed and surveyed the surroundings. “Well, I’m supposed to be surveying the area to make sure nobody steals. And the way things look, you don’t really have much of an excuse to be here… that, and the fact that the way you just denied it looked like you were trying to hide something.”

Eren covered his face with his hands. “I swear, that’s not why I was here!”

“Oh?” Jean quirked an eyebrow.

“That shelf could have been broken for any reason. It doesn’t mean that I was trying to steal.” Eren pointedly glanced away.

“And yet, you’re not telling me why you were in here. It really doesn’t help your case, you know.” Jean said, tapping his foot against the ground impatiently. Before he could say anything else, a firm hand gripped his shoulder.

“That’s enough, Kirschtein.” A voice from behind spoke.

Jean immediately whirled around in surprise.

“Corporal Levi? What are you doing here?” He asked. The corporal didn’t respond, but merely pushed past him, stepping forward. Levi glanced around the room, eventually focusing on Eren.

“Is anything broken? Or did you just stand there doing nothing?”

Eren frowned, and lowered his head. “I was waiting for you to get back when Jean found me.”

Jean sighed. “Alright, I’m getting confused,” He began, earning an amused huff from the corporal, “And I think I should at least know what’s going on here.”

Eren grimaced. “Do we have to tell him?” He asked Levi, who nodded in response.

“I think we owe him that much.”

And so, Levi began to explain the situation:

\---

_“Are you sure we won’t be heard in here?” Eren asked Levi as they quietly entered the room._

_“I’m positive.” Levi responded, and proceeded to pull Eren into a heated kiss._

_Eren sighed through his nose, pressing against Levi._

_It felt uncomfortable to be kissing in the middle of a room with nothing to support them, Levi realized. It only took moments for Levi to push forward, moving so that Eren would be back against the wall without having to break the kiss._

_Neither of them had been aware of their surroundings enough to discover that Eren was being backed into a shelf. By that point, it was too late- Eren had been forced back and pressed onto one of the shelves._

_“Ah!” He shouted. At the same time, one of the boards had loosened from the pressure against it, leading the gear on top of it to come toppling onto the floor._

_“Son of a bitch.” Levi muttered, stepping back and observing the mess. “Alright, I’m going to go check and see if anyone woke up. You should wait here and check to see if anything other than the shelf got broken. I’ll be back in a second.”_

\---

“…And that’s what happened.” Levi said bluntly, glancing at Eren (who was now wearing an extremely embarrassed expression.)

Jean blinked, trying to register what he had just heard.

“So… no theft?”

Eren shook his head and looked at the floor. “No theft.”

Jean let out an exasperated groan, and turned around to leave the room, muttering about “worrying for no fucking reason” and shaking his head.

Levi hummed, waiting for Jean to leave before approaching the door and closing it. He shifted his gaze back to Eren.

“Now, where were we?”


	7. Day 7: Calling me a logarithm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do either of you know what ‘prepossessing’ means?” He asked when he arrived. Connie and Sasha both looked up from their positions, and shared a glance.
> 
> “No idea, but it doesn’t sound nice.” Connie said idly, earning a nod from Sasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd here's the final chapter! Thanks for the kudos and bookmarks, it means a lot to me! :D

“You’re looking prepossessing today.”

Eren had been mulling over Levi’s statement for the entire day, and yet he still felt gloomy.

He had said it in the morning. Eren had woken up early that day- earlier than usual, that is- and had managed to sneak in a bath before he had to get dressed for the day. He felt fresh and clean, and hoped that he would be able to retain some of that feeling by the end of the day. However, when he arrived for breakfast, taking his usual seat next to the corporal, those four words had been spoken.

At first, Eren was confused. What exactly did ‘prepossessing’ mean? And why would Levi call him that? Eren had never heard him say anything like that before. When he turned his head to look at the corporal for an explanation, he had only been met by an indifferent expression. Those around him seemed equally as confused. Eren frowned, and turned back to his breakfast.

After the meal was done, Eren approached Hanji with caution.

“Hanji, what did Levi mean when he said I was ‘prepossessing’ today?” He asked with furrowed brows. Hanji shrugged in return.

“I don’t know, to be honest. He almost never uses words like that when he’s speaking. He thinks they make him sound too prudish.”

Eren let out a heavy sigh, and left to begin his daily chores.

Time passed, and Eren felt himself beginning to sweat from the dual sensations of the heat and strain from the work. His hair clung to his forehead, and his face was turning a bit red. At the moment, he was busy carrying heavy crates from room to room, and it wasn’t exactly the easiest task of the day- it felt as though some of the boxes were filled with lead. As he nearly stumbled through the hallways, he accidentally brushed against the corporal, who observed Eren for several moments. Levi glared at him, and continued on his way.

“Make sure you take another bath again tonight, preferably before you come to my quarters.”

Eren grimaced, and continued moving the crates.

After his chores were done, Eren let out a heavy sigh of relief. He was feeling exhausted, and all he wanted to do was talk to a few friends and maybe take a nap. Mikasa and Armin were busy cleaning the maneuver gear, and Jean was mucking the stables (there was a joke in there somewhere, Eren just didn’t know what it was,) leaving only Connie and Sasha available to talk to. They had kitchen duty that day, which meant that they were most likely goofing off, and Eren wasted no time approaching the two.

“Do either of you know what ‘prepossessing’ means?” He asked when he arrived. Connie and Sasha both looked up from their positions, and shared a glance.

“No idea, but it doesn’t sound nice.” Connie said idly, earning a nod from Sasha.

Eren paused, and thought back. Come to think of it, when he had been moving the crates, the corporal had been looking at with something akin to disgust. Eren frowned, and made his way towards the washrooms to take another bath. For the rest of the day, he tried to avoid the corporal as often as he could. There was no point in making a wrong step, and he didn’t want to earn another insult.

Eren ate dinner in silence that night. While everyone else was chattering away, he felt a sense of glumness hanging over his head. He didn’t even notice the strange looks the corporal was giving him, and only snapped to attention when said corporal nudged his side.

“Follow me.” He said, and motioned for Eren to join him in the corridors.

“Now,” Levi started once Eren had approached him. “Why have you been sulking around for almost the entire day?”

Eren cringed, and turned his head. “Well, you called me prepossessing this morning, and then earlier you looked like you were disgusted by me. I thought I had done something to offend you.” He said. Levi stared at him for several seconds, before letting out a soft snickering sound.

“Prepossessing is a compliment. It means you looked attractive.” Levi responded. “And the reason why I was looking so grossed out was because you had a horrible stench following you around. Which, if you’ll remember, is why I told you to take a bath before coming to my quarters tonight.”

Eren groaned. “You mean I didn’t have any reason to worry?”

“None at all.” Levi said, taking Eren’s hand into his own. “Now come on and let me bring you to my room.”

Later that night, as the two lay in bed together, Levi whispered more sweet words into Eren’s ears.

These ones, he could understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the links to the explanations for the tropes that I used:
> 
> 1\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LeaveTheTwoLovebirdsAlone
> 
> 2\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustBeforeTheEnd
> 
> 3\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouMeanXmas
> 
> 4\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IndirectKiss
> 
> 5\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HolyHalo
> 
> 6\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotHelpingYourCase
> 
> 7\. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CallingMeALogarithm


End file.
